12-Hour Faiyum Oasis and Wadi El Rayan Tour from Cairo

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Explore the ruins of Karanis with Roman, Coptic, and Early Islamic monuments
• 02 See the Water Wheels said to have been running since the Ptolemaic era
• 03 Look for different kinds of birds around Lake Qaroun, one of Egypt's oldest lakes
• 04 Visit Wadi El Rayan, where two lakes are connected by Egypt's only waterfalls

Explore the ruins of Karanis, an ancient city with Roman, Coptic, and Early Islamic monuments, on this 12-hour journey from Cairo to Faiyum Oasis. See the Water Wheels that are said to have been running since the Ptolemaic era, watch for different kinds of birds around Lake Qaroun, and continue to Wadi El Rayan, a protected area known for its two lakes and Egypt's only waterfalls.

Wadi El Rayan consists of two lakes connected by Egypt's only waterfalls, formed in 1970 by an overflow of drainage water from the farmlands in Faiyum.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 12 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Cairo, Faiyum, Wadi El Rayan

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Faiyum Oasis, Lake Qaroun and Wadi El Rayan

• A tour representative will pick you up from your hotel in Cairo. The distance from Cairo to Faiyum is about 95 km.
• Visit Karanis, the ruins of an old city that contains a number of monuments dating from the Roman, Coptic, and Early Islamic periods.
• After that, visit the Water Wheels, which are said to have been running since the Ptolemaic era.
• Then enjoy Lake Qaroun, where you can see different kinds of birds. Lake Qaroun is considered the oldest natural lake in the world, the third-largest lake in Egypt, and the remainder of the old Lake Moerisi.
• Continue to Wadi El Rayan. Designated a Protected Area in 1989, Wadi El Rayan is a natural depression located in the western desert, 42 m below sea level. Wadi El Rayan consists of two lakes connected by Egypt's only waterfalls, formed in 1970 by an overflow of drainage water from the farmlands in Faiyum.
• Transfer back to Cairo.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• All transfers by a private air-conditioned vehicle
• Pick-up services from your hotel and return
• Private Egyptologist guide
• Entrance fees to all the mentioned sites
• Bottled water during your trip
• Shopping tours in Cairo
• All taxes and service charges

What's Not Included

• Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary
• Tipping

What to bring

• You must bring a valid photo ID to verify your name and age.

Know before you go

• Please refer to your itinerary for redemption instructions.
• Please be ready and wait in your hotel lobby 15 minutes prior to your scheduled pickup time.
• Please inform us of your hotel name, address, or arrival flight number, airline, and time 48 hours before the start of your activity.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Cairo, Egypt

Tour start

Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.